All Sohmas Great and Small
by Celarania
Summary: Base on All Creatures Great and Small. Tohru is a vet working in a small town attending to the animals and people that live there.
1. Chapter 1

Cel: Hello, welcome to the first bit of All Sohmas Great and Small. This is based on All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot. What can I say? I love it! Ok, sorry, I know this has a lot of OOCness on Tohru's part. It made it a lot easier to write the funny parts. I tried to keep her caring for everyone and everything though.  
  
The premise is that Tohru's a vet in a small town taking care of the animals and people there. This will be a collection of short stories so you don't have to read them in order, though it does help some. There will be little emphasis on pairings. Wait! Don't go! I swear it will be good! This will focus on the effects she had on the Sohmas lives. The Sohmas will be added as I get to know them. For the moment I've seen up to the third DVD so no Hiro or Ritsu until I see them.  
  
I don't own All Creatures Great and Small or Fruits Basket. I wish I did but I don't so I'm just writing a cheesy fanfic.  
  
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Chapter 1 In which a veterinarian arrives in a small town  
  
I had just arrived in the town, it already looked about ten-times better than the city I was used to. The whole place looked like it was a little bit of the past trying to remain and I was quite happy it did. Though I wasn't happy when the doctor told me that I had to leave the city, the country was actually quite beautiful. I would, however, miss my friends, Hana-chan and Uo-chan, but I could relax knowing that they'd write and visit me.  
  
The doctor had warned me that out here I wouldn't have to just look at the normal household pets, but I knew I'd be alright, after all, as a vet I was trained to look at all animals. I knew that the majority of people here were farming folk, but it would be a nice change to talk to some people who knew what was going on, at least to a certain extent. At least they would be able to fix some of the minor problems. Though I could still handle the different animals, I had triple-checked that I packed my veterinarian books, just in case. Also if nothing else if a person doubted my knowledge I could pretend to look it up.  
  
I drove through town, looking at the sights more than anything else. As I saw the locals look at me, passing in my city car. The problem was that it was great for paved roads, but it couldn't handle the dirt and cobblestone roads here. I already could guess that it was splattered with mud from my drive from the city. I couldn't help but feel nervous, I mean they say that first impressions are important and I hadn't put any thought into mine. I knew that not only would I look like a city girl, but a complete ditz as well. A voice in my head countered that was accurate, but I tried to push it away.  
  
As I looked at their face I almost lost control of my car. They were glaring at me! I know my chin probably touched the floor of my car when I realized it, leaving me looking stupider than ever. The villagers would probably all get a good laugh about this, even the ones that didn't' see me. I remembered Uo-chan warning me, saying that in these little towns, not only does everyone know everyone else, but they're all related somehow. I believe her exact words were "We'll have to visit you. Otherwise with those family ties you'll either be scorned by the whole town, or be fought over, you know who's going to marry you so that they can get some new blood in the family." I had panicked until Uo-chan started laughing, explaining it was a joke. Now that I was here it didn't seem too far off, and from their looks it was the former.  
  
What to do? I was already despised without even saying anything! Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea. I bit my lip which had at sometime reattached itself to my face in vain to try to console myself. I thought I should just turn around and go back to the city like their eyes were telling me to do. I shook my head resolutely, no I had to be here for my health, if they didn't like it too bad for them, I had paid for my house and I was staying. I didn't need for them to like me and they had to put up with me. I didn't need them! Then I realized the exact nature of my profession and the fact that I did indeed need them and found the extent of my bad luck. Asked my mother for help and continued to my small house.  
  
It would have been a tiny house for the city and was a small one here too, but I figured it would be perfect for me. One person with no animals, just a fair amount of different medicines. I had taken the advice to bring the more common ones with me. For rarer ones I could go out of town to pick them up, but my doctor told me that it would be quite complainants to have to drive out of there every time Mrs. So-and-so's precious little dumpling needed a shot. The one good thing about the animals here was that a horse was definitely less likely to be overdosed than a lap dog, also there would probably be more mutt pets so I wouldn't have to treat as many breed defects.  
  
I looked at my house again. The back seem to join the small hill behind it creating the affect that the house was actually part of the hill. I stepped out of my mud-caked car and walked up the hill a little. It wasn't too steep, but it could definitely give me some exercise if I chose to use it as such. I decided to climb up it and see the other side of the town. Again it was beautiful. I looked to the left. There was a tree on the hill, the perfect size and location. Later I could spend time underneath it. I couldn't help but smile. It was the perfect place for a swing. I smiled at the thought of the children from the town playing on it.  
  
I started down the hill. I had forgotten that the same force that had made the mud the was stuck to my car was still in affect. A small low area had created a spot that was still wet, though the rest of the grass appeared dry. Well, as luck would have it I stepped into that one spot and promptly found myself looking at the clouds billowing by. I couldn't help but chuckle and continue to stare at the puffy white clouds.  
  
After a bit of cloud gazing I went inside. Immediately I began coughing. Everything was delicately covered by a layer of dust and the corners of the rooms all found themselves adorned by lacy spiderwebs. While coughing up a lung, or so it seemed, I wondered how the doctor considered this to be better for my health. Sure in the city there was pollution, but I never felt pollution go into my lungs like this. After a bit I had the sense to lift the collar of my shirt up to the bridge of my nose to have the fabric stop the dust from going into my throat and lungs. I knew I'd have to keep something over my mouth until I got to cleaning. I went back to my car and pulled out a surgical mask. Once again I could breathe. I knew I would not be cleaning today really so I just went into the bedroom and started preparing the bed for sleep.  
  
I knew the house had belonged to an old woman who had passed away. That's why the house still had furniture. Apparently the person who had inherited it didn't want any of it, so they just sold the house the way it was. It worked well for me- I got to sell the majority of my old furniture and therefore didn't need a moving truck. I had been told my new phone number, and I was quite surprised to hear that I would be inheriting the woman's phone number as well. My real estate agent explained that all the people in this town knew her number. It would help me get more business early on. As I was getting the bed ready, my stomach decided to make itself known. I sighed, not wanting to cook tonight. I'd have to look for a good place in town. As I left I saw exactly how splattered my car was and sighed.  
  
Once I found a decent place, I went inside. It was a small restaurant, but one of the only two one of which was a pub too. I had to imagine it was more for drinking and was only technically a restaurant to get past some sort of code. Not wanting anything fancy I ordered a grilled cheese. As I looked around I saw a few girls who looked like they were having some sort of meeting. I overheard a few of the shouts that erupted occasionally. Somehow, even in this tiny town there was some guy who breed horses who was quite popular. I made a mental note that I'd most likely end up spending a lot of time with this guy. I listened a little more. The way they spoke about him, although sounding like worship, assured me that he'd probably be a decent client to work with.  
  
After dinner as I going out to my car I was mumbling to myself about horses, trying to remember everything I learned at school. Although to a passer-by I probably sounded pretty knowledgeable I made up half of it. An expert like this guy was would see through me in a New York minute. I sighed and murmured that he'd never like me. My only thought was that I wasn't experienced at all with horses. I happened to be passing by the group of girls at that time and the leader gave me a look like very mad bull. As I thought about it I realized it couldn't be a bull, the look had to be that of a very mad cow. She seemed to lighten up a bit as I unlocked my car. No doubt whoever drove that could never steal her precious... whoever he was. I had no plans of that, I just was worried about my job.  
  
Silently I headed to my house. My home. I had to remind myself to call it that. It certainly looked more like a home than an apartment. As I walked in I put back on the mask. I felt like an idiot. I sat down in a decrepit chair that would probably break soon and read. I knew I shouldn't stay up late after moving, but I did anyways. At around one I finally gave up as the words began to blur together. I nearly crawled into the bedroom and pulled back the sheets. I quietly curled up and tried to go to sleep. This new town was pretty hard to deal with, but I told my mother that it had to get better from here. There would be plenty of work and fresh air. I'd go into town after I woke up and meet all the no-doubt wonderful people living here. Life here would be great!  
  
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Terrible eh? Anyways, please let me know how terrible it was. I know that there weren't any Sohmas in this one. I promise there will be in the next chapter. This is the scene setter. 


	2. Chapter 2

Ok, Chapter 2, yay! Anyways, the first Sohma. cheers In this one he's still kind self-absorbed like in the beginning of the series, but it should be a fun chapter. This definitely had some similarities to the first chapter of the real All Creatures Great and Small but I needed some idea of how to write it with everything going wrong.

Description of the diease is fromThe Indiana Toxic Plant Indicies. (sorry, I can't link . .) Niether Fruits Basket, nor All Creatures Great and Small is mine.

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Chapter 2 in which she realizes exactly how fun being a country vet will be.

A crusted eye opened. Was it mine? It was, wasn't it? There was some sort of unholy demon making a very loud noise in the hall. I picked up a rolling pin from a box by my bed, ready to kill whatever it was. Yes I needed to finish actually moving in, but I was planning to do that in the morning. After tripping over a half dozen boxes, I finally made it to the racket. I stared blankly at the phone.

I was about to turn back when I remembered my doctor talking about how I would get calls at all hours. I winced, still about to turn back when my mother came to mind. She told me that I had to help others, no matter what. I finally turned back to the phone, picked up the receive and mumbled something that was supposed to sound like hello.

"Oh, erm... hello." From the voice, I could tell that whoever was calling me had no idea what I just say. "May I please speak to the veterinarian?"

"You're speaking to her," I mumbled. I was still very tired.

"I need you come out and see my horse." Any insecurity was certainly gone from the male voice.

"Ok, I'll come in the morning."

Apparently he was a little irritated because his next statement was a bit sharper. "I need someone to look at him now. He is one of my prized stallions and I don't want him to be hurt when it could be avoided."

At this point I could tell it would just be one of those nights. "I'll come. Where are you?"

He gave directions as I was busy trying to fully wake myself. "I'll be there as soon as I can be," said through a yawn.

There was a pause, I could almost imagine someone on the other side blinking, trying to figure out what was going on with me, but he finally said a polite goodbye.

Again, I was being called back to bed, but my mother intervened, as well. I trudged to the bathroom, washed my face, and threw on a coat. No it wasn't professional, but neither was I at ...whatever time it was now. Whoever the customer was, he'd just have to deal with it.

I got into my still mud-splattered car and drove towards the horse. As I pulled into the drive I noticed that this was a stable, not a farm. The man who owned this raced horses, not just kept them for work; this was both good and bad. He would at least not blame me if the worst happened, but he'd probably want to do things his own way. As I stepped out, I didn't even have time to think of how ridiculous I must have looked getting out of a mud-covered car in my nightclothes.

I stumbled up to the door and knocked sleepily; the door opened and I think I might have knocked the person answering in the forehead once. I stepped back and began apologizing before I was cut off.

"It's fine, but why are you here?"

"Umm... I got a call that there was a stallion here that needs medical attention, can I please speak to the master of the house, or whoever called me, umm... miss?"

I got the worst glare I had ever seen at that point. This is why I vowed that I should get to bed earlier from now on. "I am the master of the house and who called you."

I think I could have died right there, but my still-sleepy brain couldn't think of anything but stand there dumbly.

"Follow me," he said, still clearly annoyed. As I trailed behind him I tried to talk to my mother. It really wasn't my fault! I was half-asleep and he was so pretty! I couldn't help but mistake him, but maybe if I hadn't been so out of it I wouldn't have made that mistake. I ran into his back and found myself falling on the cold ground. He turned and gave me a look that clearly showed exactly how little faith he had in me. At that point I think I turned red, but I couldn't be sure.

"Well this is the horse." He stood to the side and let me look. It was a beautiful dapple gray horse. It had a lighter area on its shoulder that turned to a darker hue on its legs. Overall it was a beautiful beast, or rather it would have been, but it was a little on the skinny side and was trembling as it stood. I had to save this beauty.

"What symptoms does he have?" I asked as I began taking the horse temperature and started listening for his heartbeat. His heartbeat was a little slow with a few oddities to it, which I took note of.

"He has had weight lose and weakness. Also in the last few days he has had a bit of an odd gait." I nodded, nothing the fact that he stood with his back arched and his legs widely placed.

"Has he been out in meadows last month?"

The young man nodded. "Probably, I was out of town for a bit and I wasn't too thrilled at the care in general."

"Then I'm thinking it's probably bracken fern poisoning. Luckily it can be treated with some shots of thiamine. I'll go back and get some for... what's his name?"

"Kumo, and I'm Yuki Sohma." I nodded and turned to the door.

"I'll go back and get some thiamine, and give him the first injection."

After returning I gave Kumo the injection without any problem. I stepped back and took a look at him. "I'm going to stop by later in the morning, just to make sure that every thing's going well, and then I can show you how to give him the shots."

"Should I get a blanket?" I smiled and nodded, I hadn't been planning to stay, but I was so tired, I had to look at the idea. Finally I collapsed into a pile of hay. As my eyes were closing I saw Mr. Sohma coming back with the blanket. I sat up to properly thank him and reached out to take the blanket. I lay down with it and was about to close my eyes when I saw Mr. Sohma giving me an odd look.

"I was talking about a blanket for the horse," he stated bluntly. Ouch. I sat up and wrapped the blanket around the horse. "If you're really that tired you can stay. I'm afraid that all our guest rooms are taken tonight, but you can stay here, if you like. I can send someone with blankets for you." I nodded, I could not possibly drive home like this.

"Right, sleep well. We'll take another look at Kumo in...." he glanced at his watch, "about 4 hours. I'll see you then." Later I'd figure out the significance of that statement, but for the moment I was already gone.

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Hime no Ichigo – Thank you, I tried not to murder people too badly. Well, ok I might have murdered Tohru, but please forgive me. Yep, it will end on a happy note as far as I can see. She's female competition, as you'll see later. Thanks again!

rabbitTsukino – Thank you very much!

Merigold – Thank you very much! XD

catgirlversion3.0otakufan05 – Thanks That's such a great compliment.

See those four cool people? Be like them! Review! ...Please? big eyes


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